Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Director David R. Ellis is selecting his bait cast members for his upcoming horror SHARK NIGHT 3-D.

The storyline is focused on seven men and women who spend a weekend at a lake house in Louisiana's Gulf area. When their vacation quickly becomes a nightmare of hellish shark attacks, unheard of in freshwater lakes, they soon discover that the sharks are part of a sick, greedy plan on the part of several locals.seven men and women who spend a weekend at a lake house in Louisiana's Gulf area.

Added to the talent roster is the pictured Joel David Moore (AVATAR) who provides comic relief as a socially awkward guy who fancies himself a young Brad Pitt, Sinqua Walls (FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS) plays a Tulane University linebacker with plans on marrying his college sweetheart (Diaz), Chris Carmack (ALPHA AND OMEGA) is the ex-boyfriend of the female lead, still uncast, who was scarred in a boating accident and Alyssa Diaz (RED DAWN).

I don't have a grasp of this project yet so I won't comment too deeply. Adding Moore is a great move though. Shooting is slated to start in the coming couple of weeks in Louisiana. PIRANHA 3D did well critically, so why not?

**SAME DAY UPDATE: Deadline is now reporting that there may be yet ANOTHER conversion in the works for CLASH OF THE TITANS 2. (**crickets**)Not a native 3D shoot.(**louder crickets**)

Jonathan Liebesman (BATTLE: LOS ANGELES) has signed on to direct Warner Bros' CLASH OF THE TITANS 2 and will shoot the movie in native 3D, hopefully addressing the terrible 3D conversion that TITANS received earlier this year.

The first movie has made $492 million worldwide ($125 million budget) and has justifiably earned the right for a sequel despite negative word of mouth due to poor 3D.

Warner Bros. is bringing on Greg Berlanti (GREEN LANTERN), Dan Mazeau (THE FLASH) and David Leslie Johnson (RED RIDING HOOD) to write. Sam Worthington is expected to return as Perseus.

It will be a pleasure to see the franchise done right (hopefully) and garner the attention it deserves. I enjoyed the first movie in 2D. The 3D was outrageously BAD. Let's see what happens!

Monday, August 30, 2010

Listen up rockers!! Famed guitarist Slash has teamed up with Passmorelab to convert his 5 minute video BY THE SWORD into 3D. The single is from his April released album entitled SLASH which received excellent reviews.

This is an exclusive to MarketSaw as this press release will not hit the newswires until tomorrow.

Further, the 3D video will run as a pre-roll to U2 3D at The 3D Experience in NYC's Time Square next month! I will be at the Festival to take it all in - hope to see you there.

Here is the full press release (emphasis is mine):Los Angeles, CA (Aug 31, 2010) – The first video off of Slash’s #1 Rock Album SLASH, which hit retail in April and has received rave reviews worldwide, has been converted into full 3D, it was announced today in a joint statement by San Diego-based 3D Production & Conversion studio PassmoreLab & Slash.

The 5-minute rock music video, “By The Sword”, is the first single off the album and the first video ever from Slash to be released in 3D. It features the vocals of Andrew Stockdale of Wolfmother, and the ever-present blistering guitar work from Slash. The 3D video was released internationally today.

Slash, currently on tour promoting the album, has been on top of every aspect of the album and video process.

“Everything was cool, start to finish,” said Slash. “From Andrew’s vocals, to Vance directing me again, to PassmoreLab doing the 3D, it has been a killer experience and I am thrilled with it.”

Vance Burberry, Director of the video in 2D, said the video was a “wonderful, four month collaboration” between he and Slash. Burberry has a long history with Slash from his Guns ‘N Roses days, where he was Director of Photography on the band’s “Sweet Child o’Mine”, “Paradise City” and “Welcome to the Jungle” rock videos.

“On this one, we created a kind of post-apocalyptic future, where people are starved for music,” says Burberry. “We end up underground in this dark, deserted power plant bunker, where Slash and the band are mesmerizing an audience. When I found out that we were doing the conversion with PassmoreLab, I thought that environment was perfect for 3D.”

PassmoreLab began work on the project in May, and found the underground setting of the video was actually quite demanding. The conversion took about four weeks to complete, using PassmoreLab’s proprietary conversion technology.

“It’s edgy, dark and fast -- everything you would expect from Slash,” said Steve Glum, PassmoreLab's head of Branding & Distribution. “Everybody in the video is hypnotized by this murky hunger for rock n roll, and the quick camera cuts, sweeping movement, and low lighting gave us a real conversion challenge. But the final 3D product is very cool.”

SLASH hit the charts on April 6. Featuring an incredible lineup of rockers and vocalists like Kid Rock, Dave Grohl, Myles Kennedy, Fergie, Adam Levine, Chris Cornell, Ozzy Osbourne, Iggy Pop, and more, the album has been critically-acclaimed all over the world.

“We were very excited to do it,” continued Glum. “If you are going to produce an artist’s 3D rock video, Slash is definitely on the top of that list.”

SLASH is Slash’s first album as a solo artist, having previously recorded and toured most recently with Velvet Revolver from 2003-2008. One of the most recognizable rockers of all time, with his signature top hat, he is also critically recognized as one of the all-time best guitarists ever to play. In August 2009, Time Magazine ranked him #2 on its list of the 10 Best Electric Guitar Players of All-Time.

Always on the cutting-edge of music, art and technology, PassmoreLab has a solid background in rock and 3D music videos, working with New York garage-glam phenoms Semi Precious Weapons on the award-winning “Magnetic Baby”; with punk-rockers Osaka Popstar & the American Legends of Punk on “Wicked World”, with Rock ‘N Roll Hall of Famer Sammy Hagar on “Loud”, and LA art noir group Miss Derringer on “Black Tears”. PassmoreLab also delved into the rock-and-roll archives of famed photographer Bob Gruen to produce the first-ever 3D conversions of images from the Rock, Punk, and New Wave eras. Working together with Gruen, PassmoreLab developed an innovative new process to convert many of Gruen’s well-known images to a format that can be viewed on stereoscopic displays.

"By The Sword, in 3D!” will be seen in VOD on various network locations in Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Australia, Japan & Canada; at the 3D Experience Entertainment & Technology Festival as the pre-roll to U23D in Times Square, New York City; and at Hard Rock Cafes in Barcelona & Madrid; additional locations to be announced.

About SlashSlash is widely considered one of the greatest rock guitar players of all time. He has received countless accolades and awards including a 2007 star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame alongside his idols Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix. An original member of iconic rock band Guns N’ Roses, Slash helped the band create signature sounds like the guitar riff of #1 hit “Sweet Child o’ Mine” and “Welcome To The Jungle.” The band dominated the 1980’s and 90’s music scene selling more than 100 million albums worldwide and ushered in a decade of hard charging rock music. After leaving the band, Slash went on to critical acclaim in his personal project Slash’s Snakepit, and global success with supergroup Velvet Revolver. He has been widely sought after by the biggest musicians of all time, performing with everyone from Michael Jackson to Stevie Wonder to Ray Charles. Slash is one of the marquee playable characters in Guitar Hero III, has two signature Gibson guitars in his name, and authored his own top-selling biography Slash in 2007. Slash recently landed on the top of the charts with his first true solo album, SLASH, which debuted as #1 Rock Album and #3 overall on Billboard’s coveted Top 200 charts, in addition to going #1 in more than 13 countries. The album features an all-star roster of guest musicians including Ian Astbury, Chris Cornell, Rocco DeLuca, Fergie, Dave Grohl, Myles Kennedy, Kid Rock, Lemmy Kilmister, Adam Levine of Maroon 5, Duff McKagan, M. Shadows of Avenged Sevenfold, Ozzy Osbourne, Iggy Pop, and Andrew Stockdale of Wolfmother. In addition to a long career filled with prestigious awards and accolades, Slash was just honored this week by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce who named him as an official selection for 2011 to receive a star on Hollywood’s iconic Walk of Fame. A date for the ceremony has yet to be determined. For information, visit www.slashonline.com.

About PassmoreLabPassmorelab, the San Diego-based multi-media production studio that specializes in 3D production and 2D to 3D content conversion, has the world’s largest library of 3D content available for licensing. The studio custom-designs and builds its own RED camera 3D rigs for both conventional and rugged film productions, shooting everything from feature films, television and science documentaries, to underwater diving, extreme sports and cave exploration. State-of-the-art facilities include a full 3D production studio, video/film post-production, optical development lab, and a software development environment. Production includes 2D, 3D, high dynamic range time lapse, stereoscopic microscopy and cutting-edge simulation technologies for real time SFX. Passmorelab’s proprietary technology for 2D to 3D content conversion is known in the industry for quick turnaround times and competitive conversion costs. PassmoreLab has additional offices in Russia and the Philippines. For information, visit www.passmorelab.com, or contact Steve Glum (steve(at)passmorelab(dot)com, 858.200.5813).

Oh man, I hope these guys succeed! Would love to set up one of these rigs myself as I plan on getting into independent S3D filmmaking in the near future.

So what are they doing exactly?Beampath3D is using two Panasonic Lumix GH1's (a micro 4:3 system) in a beam splitter rig and they are currently trying to achieve constant, reliable and perfect syncs. Further, they have taken their work and have pinged the genius hackers over on dvxuser for collaboration, so I expect something to break sometime soon on the sync issues.

Says David Cole of Beampath3D: "This is not our first rodeo with DSLR 3D rigs. In fact, our first rig was 5D MII-based. We failed to achieve adequate sync with the 5D's and all hope that the Magic Lantern firmware enhancement would come to our rescue has faded. But, there is good cause to be optimistic about the GH1. Most importantly, the GH13 firmware has opened up a world of possibility in image quality and customization of camera functionality to enhance 3D. Secondly, even with our current setup, it does work... sometimes."Some of you may recall that a user by the name of "Tester 13" hacked into the Lumix GH1 and opened a pandora's box of options for the cool Micro 4:3 system. How about 50Mbps MJPEG @ 1080p (while the off-the-shelf camera is governed to 720p)? And you can shoot very very well in AVCHD too.

Check out this footage from a hacked GH1 (now affectionately dubbed "GH13" after Tester 13) - click HD and go full screen for the best viewing:

Keep in mind the Lumix GH1 is only a $1149 camera! You can't beat that value today in my books.

Here is the breakdown of exactly what equipment Beampath3D is using in case you want to chime in:1. 2X GH1’s with the GH13 hack.2. 2X SanDisk Extreme 16GB cards.3. 2X Olympus 9-18mm lenses (among other lenses).4. 3D Film Factory Mirrorbox (aka beamsplitter). We’re using the INDIE RIG, but the 3D-BS MINI RIG would be ideally suited to the GH1.5. Peter Wimmer’s free 3D Camera Sync Tester software running on a PC with an old-style CRT display.6. Dual-trace oscilloscope. Just about any dual-trace scope will work, but we’re using a Hantek DSO-2150 USB-based scope. They are cheap and effective.7. Breakout cables for the Mic/Remote jack.8. Breakout cables for the AV Out/Digital jack. We cut the computer-plug ends off of two spare GH1 USB cables.9. Twinned shutter-release remote switch, which places the appropriate resistance value to toggle recording onto the remote pins of each GH1 simultaneously.10. Twin power control. This is the heart of our attempt to sync the GH1s and it MAY be destructive to the cameras (however we’ve been at this for two months and have yet to have a single hiccup). We’re eternally switching the external power input to both cameras, while leaving the cameral power switches in the ON position. A diagram of our simple power control is available.

All of this makes for some pretty cool 3D hacking and a great 3D Geek Alert. Can't wait to see their results! Perhaps even adopt their set up myself - at least until the RED Scarlet comes on stream anyway :-) More info when I get it!

Sunday, August 29, 2010

An interesting rumor (out of usually reliable Deadline) has it that Warner Bros is buying a pitch from Bruce C. McKenna (THE PACIFIC) for a World War II Pacific theater epic THE BATTLE OF MIDWAY. Apparently it is being fast tracked and McKenna will deliver a script to the studio within 8 weeks.

$200 million is the likely price tag for the war movie that focuses on the turning point of WWII where Japan lost 4 of its extremely important aircraft carriers.

Personally, I am a WWII buff, though admittedly more focused on the European theater. Midway is truly one of the great battles of all time, from before it happened (breaking codes, etc) to its aftermath. Sun Tzu will tell you battles are won before they are fought: "Now the reason the enlightened prince and the wise general conquer the enemy whenever they move and their achievements surpass those of ordinary men is foreknowledge."

I liked the 1976 version entitled MIDWAY with Charlton Heston, Henry Fonda, James Coburn and Hal Holdbrook, (a heckuva lineup) and just watched it this past month in fact.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Here is the cover art for the upcoming AVATAR Box Set that is scheduled to be released November 16!

The video clip in this post includes segments from a cool documentary that will be included in the box set focusing on James Cameron's research trip to Brazil's rainforest. Sigourney Weaver and Joel David Moore accompanied him as well. Add in all the deleted scenes and additional movie footage and you have the makings of a heckuva blu-ray offering.

Friday, August 27, 2010

Some breaking news on the AVATAR box set blu-ray that is coming out in November - the disc will include about 4.5 minutes of future Earth scenes to open the movie!!

James Cameron told oregonlive:"Well, if you buy the box set in November, you can sit down, and in a continuous screening of the film, watch it with the Earth opening. It works very well. It just takes a long time to get the movie started. You have to be sort of predisposed to like the movie like a fan, you know what I mean? And then you can sit and you can have a great ride -- a different telling of "Avatar." Not inconsistent -- it's just the stuff that happened off-camera. We call it "the Earth opening." It's about 4 1/2 minutes of stuff. And it was in for the longest time. It was very late in the day that we took it out. I walked in one day and said to my two editors, "Guys, I want each of you to cut a new version of the start of the film, Reel 1, that doesn't have any Earth in it at all." And they looked at me like I was out of my mind. And I said, "No -- it's gonna work." They had to figure out the details. I said, "Just grab a couple of things to use as flashbacks, and start it in space when Jake opens his eyes."

However, the re-release that just opened today does NOT have this future Earth footage in it.

Cameron continued:"In November, you can buy a box set with all the bells and whistles. It's got like 45 minutes of unfinished deleted scenes that exist in a supplement where you can just play the scenes individually. But it's all a big negotiation with the studios; how much money do they want to spend on these sort of revisionist versions of the movie? Because on the whole Earth opening, the visual effects weren't done, and we had to go back and spend a million bucks or whatever to get those shots done. So there's a price-tag dangling from anything that gets re-inserted. It's not like "Apocalypse Now," where they blow up a Vietnamese village and the footage is done – there are no visual effects after the fact. We've got to go back, and it's our time and our energy and the studio's money to re-create this stuff. But (in November) you'll be able to watch a 16-minute-longer version of the film that's a nice, flowing, cohesive version of the movie. If you just want to wallow in "Avatar" for three hours, I can get that for you."

Three hour AVATAR!! Yes! :-) And of course 45 minutes of unfinished, deleted scenes! Guess what will be in my stocking this year? I have the feeling I won't be the only one. All this and the 3D version is still not out yet! Just as well, I have not purchased a S3DHD TV yet - I just have a 3D monitor at the moment.

Be sure to read the whole interview righthere.More info when we get it!! Thanks Jsayson15 for the headsup.

One of the characters I have been most anxious to see in Paul W.S. Anderson's THE THREE MUSKETEERS is Mads Mikkelsen's character Rochefort, mainly because I think he is a great actor and perfectly cast for the movie. If you will remember, he played Le Chiffre in CASINO ROYALE.

Click photos to enlarge.

Before you ask:Sure, I could probably do without another MUSKETEERS remake - but to me we have not seen what the definitive effort is yet. So bring it on Anderson!

Look at the wardrobe for this movie! Great work. If these pictures are any indication for the rest of the movie, I can see many awards coming in their direction for costumes.

We also see Logan Lerman as D'Artagnan.

Look for the amazing cast of Ray Stevenson, Christoph Waltz, Orlando Bloom, Milla Jovovich, Luke Evans, Matthew Macfadyen, Juno Temple and James Corden to join Lerman and Mikkelsen in THE THREE MUSKETEERS on April 15, 2011. In 3D.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

A new international poster (supposedly Hungary) has appeared on kinopoisk.ru (via /Film) featuring Beau Garrett as Jem in Disney's TRON: LEGACY. Jem is the lead Siren (a group of 4 Sirens plays the Grid Game's armorers - weapon and armor outfitters) and she interacts rather enigmatically with Sam Flynn (Kevin's son) in the movie's trailer.

Garrett recently told JustJared: “I felt sexy but also claustrophobic. It was a very painful process struggling to move for 15 hours straight. But after I put it on, that’s when I knew how my character would move and talk.”

To top off all this marketing hype and post Comic-con awareness that is going on for TRON: LEGACY, I have heard that the stereoscopic 3D is beyond wild. This thing was made to be in 3D with all those geometric lines and dimensional gameplay - TRON should be on the top of your list this holiday season...

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

I couldn't be more thrilled - I will be moderating the Filmmakers Panel at THE 3D EXPERIENCE in New York's Times Square! The festival runs from September 24 - 26 and has an exciting line up for both industry professionals AND consumers.

In fact, consumers will be introduced to “hands on” demonstrations, product reviews and content creation from all around the world for FREE. There will be a custom 3D Showroom that will take visitors into the world of 3D where they can explore this new technology, including side-by-side comparisons of 3DTVs and have all their questions answered.

The 3D Experience Festival (Sept 24-26 in New York) has just secured an exclusive screening of the short film entitled CITY OF RUINS in 3D for the Executive Forum which will be held Sept 24 at the AMC Empire 25 (Times Square).

The movie short is a simulation of a libertator plane as it flies over the completely devastated Warsaw of 1945.A 30 person team labored 2 years to recreate the city's horrific aftermath of World War II.

If you have not seen it with your own eyes, isolated photos from the time of the war will not convey it. It is only the film that truly reveals what Warsaw looked like just after the war had ended and from what kind of ruins it was raised.

MarketSaw is aMedia Sponsor for this must-see, international 3D event. I will be covering the festival in detail! It will be interesting to see this short on the big screen, solemn as it is.

Interesting news if this is true AND if it is viable. Toshiba is reportedly set to release a range of autostereoscopic (glasses free) 3D TVs this Christmas, in Japan at least. Yomiuri Shimbun (one of five national newspapers in Japan) is reporting that the TV manufacturer will unveil three models in the several thousand dollar range.

The company has developed a new system that emits a number of rays of light with various angles from the screen so that viewers can see stereoscopic images without glasses. People can enjoy images in three dimensions from various positions and suffer less stress.

However a spokeswoman for Toshiba said:"We are not in a position to make any announcement."

I remain skeptical. I have yet to see a compelling autostereoscopic solution that is not a hand-held portable device. Let's hope for the best!

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Yes, you read that right! Due to the overwhelming critical response to the Alexandre Aja re-imagining of PIRANHA, Dimension Films is talking sequel very publicly. PIRANHA 3D has been hovering around the 80% fresh rating at RottenTomatoes and does not seem to be moving, so obviously the horror comedy has been well received.

Press Release Excerpts:Audiences have been slow to warm up to the movie and we will soon see what kind of legs the film will have in theaters. I loved it. If it wasn't for the terrible 3D conversion (ok, most of the short range shorts were passable) I would have really praised it.After earning rave reviews from top critics, wild cheers from audiences around the country, and $10 million in its opening weekend boxoffice, Dimension Films is pleased to announce that PIRANHA 3D – THE SEQUEL is in the works.

PIRANHA 3D producer Mark Canton stated, "We are thrilled that audiences are not just loving PIRANHA 3D, but cheering for it. And it's fantastic that so many critics are really getting the movie and recommending it. We can't wait to get to work on the sequel."

PIRANHA 3D opened with fantastic reviews from top critics like the ASSOCIATED PRESS and REUTERS, enjoying a very FRESH rating of 80-82% favorable reviews on the popular movie review site ROTTEN TOMATOES throughout it's opening weekend. The movie has captured the attention of movie fans as well as elite media outlets like The Wall St. Journal, The Daily Beast and The Huffington Post. And taking Hollywood by surprise, PIRANHA 3D - via a partnership with Funny Or Die - is the subject of a much-talked about campaign to be named Best Picture of the year. Funny Or Die's "For Your Consideration" video for PIRANHA 3D took the nation by storm last week. And, as announced over the weekend, Academy Award ® nominee and Piranha 3D heroine Elisabeth Shue will debut a brand new video in the coming days on Funny Or Die.

So while the movie will most likely break even or maybe even squeak out a little profit after disc sales, the critical response has earned it a sequel nod. Or at least a hint of a sequel to help propel current theatrical sales. ;-)

Monday, August 23, 2010

More CAPTAIN AMERICA photos are leaking online from the latest set of the Marvel comic book adaptation; this time it's London's Trafalgar Square (check out previous set photos here). The scene is obviously related to VE (Victory in Europe) Day with period costumes, old newspapers and the Union Jack waving everywhere.

Click images to enlarge.

Apparently there was some shooting going on over at 10 Downing Street, near the cabinet war rooms as well. No shots of this as of yet.

Director Joe Johnston was on location for part of the day (these shots were from August 22) but THE FIRST AVENGER himself (Chris Evans) was not to be seen.

Storyline:Based on the Marvel Comics character from World War II. A brave, yet mild-mannered young soldier named Steve Rogers, volunteers to undergo a series of experiments for a US army Super Soldier program. The military succeeds in transforming him into a human weapon, but quickly decide that their Super Soldier is far too expensive a creation to risk in combat. So, they decide to put him to use as an army celebrity and parade him across Europe to boost morale by performing in USO shows for American troops. He is even given a costume that bear the colors of Old Glory for the stage. Then, when a Nazi plot reveals itself Rogers must rise up and and become the First Avenger, in order to save his country. Steve Rogers becomes Captain America and he earns his way into the hearts and souls of every American, bringing hope and justice to a war-weary nation. Later, during a mission to Germany to stop his archenemy - The Red Skull, from launching rockets at the allies, Captain America sacrifices himself and winds up frozen in ice for almost six decades! Revived, Steve Rogers now must join forces with new heroes and become an Avenger of the modern age.

Look for CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER on July 22, 2011 in 3D theaters everywhere.We are not into paparazzi shots here but if you are, hereare some shots that DID have Chris Evans in them as he clubbed London over the weekend (Amy Smart was there too).

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Saw PIRANHA 3D in my local RealD theater tonight and it was ALMOST exactly what I wanted from the hype! Of course it is focused on male audiences with plenty of nudity and innovative and bloody deaths, but there are some fairly good comedic scenes and yes I did laugh out loud quite a few times.

So how was the 3D? The 3D conversion was done by a company called inner-D who won the business after beating out several other conversion companies. Personally, most of the 3D was passable. Did I mistake it for native 3D? Heck no. But there were some fairly decent shots. The main problem with this conversion is landscape distance; there were numerous occasions where the background was clearly either a chunk of flat 2D or the perspective was off significantly. On one shot, the water seemed to be impossibly high when compared to the shoreline - things like that really bother me. But for the tight, money shots? No complaints and that is why you are going to see this movie anyway - the tight shots.

Lenny Lipton's name is on this movie as a stereo consultant, so they were tapping the right mind at least some of the time.

I give the 3D a 6.5 out of 10 when compared to well shot native 3D.Don't worry - it is much better than the CLASH OF THE TITANS conversion!

The acting was actually very good. I dearly wanted more Richard Dreyfus! Elisabeth Shue was amazing as the local sheriff. Jerry O'Connell was perfectly cast.

As I have said, there is extreme gore in this film - so be prepared for that. But most of all, be prepared for a great, summer 3D popcorn movie. PIRANHA 3D = 7 / 10 and it is FUN.

Alexandre Aja slaps you in the face with a bloody limb and you will LOVE it!!

Friday, August 20, 2010

Like I have said before: I love behind the scenes action. In other words, show me everything it takes to shoot a movie. Talent problems, location issues, new technology, you name it; even if it is from a third party perspective. That's a big part of the reason why I love movie and entertainment blogging: I get to see and hear this stuff from time to time and let you guys know about it, sometimes as exclusives, sometimes not.

This time it is from the set of Marvel's CAPTAIN AMERICA (directed by Joe Johnston)which is going to be converted to 3D in post production.Chris Evans plays the title role and his alter ego Steve Rogers.Heyuguys is reporting on not only an email full of informationfrom an extra that was on set, but also a video clip showing us some of the shooting location.

**WARNING: SOME SPOILERS AHEAD**

Here is the email filling us in on some details of the scenes involved:The first day we were on set we were filming a scene set in Nazi occupied Italy, where a group of POWs are marched back into camp by Captain America, and a few other guys. One of the guys was played by Neal McDonough, from Desperate Housewives, and there were a couple more. One Japanese guy and one other. Everyone was in normal military uniform, and Chris Evans was wearing military trousers, and a leather jacket, with the Captain America top underneath.

The whole day we filmed different views of the troops marching in. As we were marching, we walked past tanks and trucks with a logo with a skull and octopus legs on it.

At the end of the day, we shot a scene where we all crowded around Chris Evans. Hayley Atwell, in a nurse’s outfit came over and spoke very quietly to him. I asked, but no one heard what she said. After that, Tommy Lee Jones came over, said ‘Faith, huh!’ and walked off.

The second day we filmed the USO show, around the stage in your video. It was pretty boring, but we did get to see Chris Evans in the Captain America costume.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

I really don't know what to expect with the upcoming release of Alexandre Aja's PIRANHA 3D this weekend. On one hand, I am a big Aja fan (THE HILLS HAVE EYES, MIRRORS) but on the other hand the super advance word on this movie is 'cheese', but that may have changed in the editing room after getting feedback - or it could have just been a vicious attack for no reason. I do know that no movie critics have been allowed to preview the movie. I am an eternal optimist though, so I will be the first in line.

This brings me to Aja's next project: He has been talking (via Collider) about writing and directing an adaptation of the Japanese manga COBRA THE SPACE PIRATE, which he grew up watching on TV in Europe.

Here is a breakdown of the manga:The series follows the adventures of Cobra who lived an ordinary life until enemies started to hunt him down. Cobra surgically alters his face, and erases his own memory to hide from his enemies. Cobra starts to regain his memories and then unites with his old partner Lady Armaroid and his ship Tortuga. Later in his adventures, Cobra meets the Royal sisters whose map-tattoos lead to treasure. The Cobra manga has also spawned nine sequel series… [and] later served as the basis for a feature-length film adaptation, a 31-episode anime series that retells the film’s story, and two original video animations.

So what does Aja have to say about the project (via Deadline)?“I grew up dreaming about Cobra. My day was, finish school, run home and switch on the TV and I was hardly the only one. Kids did it in France, Italy, Spain, all over Western Europe. For many people there is Star Wars and nothing else, but for me and my writing partner Gregory, there is Star Wars and Cobra. I am so surprised it never crossed the ocean and made the same impact in the U.S., because it is so big everywhere else. There are 60 books, a lot of TV animation and so many adventures, pirates and bad guys that it is perfect to be reinvented into a really cool space opera adventure franchise for a new generation.”

“It should be in 3D, science fiction and 3D are a good mix. I’ll start work on the script soon, but I have been carrying this inside me for thirty years and we are talking to the creature designers of films like Avatar and Star Trek, building a new world and doing it the right way.”

Looks like Aja and I are going to get along just fine. We'll see how well his PIRANHA 3D conversion works out for him, and he has plenty of time to decide to shoot in native 3D or not for his next project.

I just want to see a Hollywood adaptation of a good Manga. We are still waiting on Cameron's BATTLE ANGEL and Spielberg's GHOST IN THE SHELL to name a couple of other top line projects.

Glad to see Aja has landed on the 3D side of Hollywood's creativity line!Bring it on Alex...

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Here's the new trailer for horror master Wes Craven's MY SOUL TO TAKE.

Obviously it is cookie cutter horror in the tradition of Craven films but there is always that carrot dangling in front of us: This is a Wes Craven project. Never underestimate him. He is also shooting SCREAM 4 right now.

Here's the storyline:In the sleepy town of Riverton, legend tells of a serial killer who swore he would return to murder the seven children born the night he died. Now, 16 years later, people are disappearing again. Has the psychopath been reincarnated as one of the seven teens, or did he survive the night he was left for dead? Only one of the kids knows the answer. Adam “Bug” Heller was supposed to die on the bloody night his father went insane. Unaware of his dad’s terrifying crimes, he has been plagued by nightmares since he was a baby. But if Bug hopes to save his friends from the monster that’s returned, he must face an evil that won’t rest… until it finishes the job it began the day he was born.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Wow! I knew this was coming today and Fujifilm did not disappoint. The Finepix Real 3D W3 digital camera systemofficially launches in September and brings with it the ability to shoot hi-res 3D photos (1920x1080 or higher) as well as 720p HD video with stereo audio.

Your newly captured 3D media can then be viewed on most new 3D TVs (through the camera's mini HDMI v1.4 port) or printed (via Fujifilm's SeeHere.com - for example: 5x7" high precision prints with lenticular 3D technology for $6.99).

The W3 uses twin 10-megapixel CCD sensors and dual FUJINON (some of the world's best optics!) 3x optical zoom lenses (35-105mm) that are 75 mm apart. The synchronized control of the CCD sensors release the left and right shutters simultaneously.

You are not constrained to only use the camera in three dimensions as there are exciting W3 features that can be used for unique 2D shots as well. One example is the W3's Tele/Wide Simultaneous Shooting feature that allows photographers to zoom in on a subject while concurrently taking a wide-angle shot of the same scene!

The dimensions for the camera are just under an inch (21.0 mm) at its thinnest point and weighs 8.5 ounces with memory card and battery installed.

The camera has an autostereoscopic (glasses-free) 3.5" widescreen LCD 3D screen (1150K resolution) which uses the newly developed RP (Real Photo) processor 3D HD, which merges the left and right images into a single image/video. All of this is built into a nicely balanced stainless steel body.

Some further camera details:- Switch 2D/3D Button to switch between capturing a subject in 2D or 3D instantly.- One Touch Movie Mode using dedicated button to instantly changing from still to movie mode.- Auto and Manual Parallax Control to automatically adjust parallax in 3D Auto mode for an optimal sense of depth.- MyFinePix Studio 3D Movie and Photo Editor software allows manually editing captured 3D images effortlessly.- Manual Shooting Functions with aperture and shutter priority.- 13 scene positions to automatically optimize camera settings for some of the most common shooting environments.- Super Intelligent Flash adjusts flash output and timing to capture subjects and background.

All this for a quite affordable $499.95 in early September. I am totally thrilled by this announcement! Consumers need more affordable choices for 3D at home and the W3 delivers. I hope to get one of these soon and I will post a review ASAP.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

I kind of saw this one coming and I am great with it. I am a Karl Urban fan (especially after his portrayal of Bones in STAR TREK) and I think he can certainly pull this one off. Empire is reporting that Urban has indeed signed on to play the title role of JUDGE DREDD after they spoke with producers Andrew Macdonald and Allon Reich.

For those uninitiated with the story (it is a UK comic that was lazily adapted by Stallone in the 1990's), it involves a futuristic world filled with violence, and the lead character is empowered to act as judge, jury and executioner. The premise is outstanding for the big screen... if done right.

From what I can tell, Macdonald and Reich are doing just that (emphasis is mine):

“The main thing about Dredd is that it’s a fantastic comic that was completely messed up 20 years ago," said Macdonald. "Our idea is to make a very hard, R-rated, gritty, realistic movie of Dredd in Megacity, so we’ve got to get the tone right. He’s not going to take off his helmet. His bike is going to feel real. He’s going to hit people and it’s going to feel real."

"There’s been a change in comic-book movies; they were treated unseriously and now they’re treated seriously. We’ve cast a guy called Karl Urban to play Dredd. We’ll be shooting in Johannesburg, it’s being directed by Pete Travis, we’re shooting with the people who did District 9 – and if we get it right, Alex has a couple of ideas for other stories as well. It’s not based on any one comic, and John Wagner is involved in every decision."

This movie IS going to happen. Macdonald has financing (~$50 million) from India-based Reliance Big Entertainment and IM Global. Pete Travis (VANTAGE POINT) is the director. Alex Garland (THE BEACH, 28 DAYS LATER) wrote the script. So get ready - this should be quite a spectacle!

Friday, August 13, 2010

Here's the new official trailer for AVATAR: SPECIAL EDITION coming out in 3D theaters August 27 (only 2 weeks away)!

Remember this re-release includes NINE extra minutes of pure CG action! More Pandora creatures too - like the Sturmbeast and the Stingbat. Hear more about it in my recent conversation with James Cameron.

So hold tight guys - the new footage is almost here. Can't wait to relive Pandora once again in a new way!

Not totally a surprise and quite frankly a good selection for the upcoming 3D feature film for Justin Bieber. STEP UP 3D's director Jon M. Chu has been selected to direct the much talked about Bieber biopic (however short it is) about how he has arrived at the place he is in today.

Bieber's August 31 concert in NYC will be shot in 3D for inclusion in the movie which will also include behind the scenes footage (which I am assuming was shot in 2D and will need to be converted). Knowing Chu however, he will want to shoot as much as possible in native 3D.

I have seen STEP UP 3D and it certainly shows you that it was shot in native 3D - there are no layering effects and Chu used backgrounds and the environment very effectively in some shots to bring out the beauty of 3D. Sure, parts were a bit cheesy as I am sure the Bieber movie will be but overall the 3D was nicely done.

I am feeling a bit better now about the whole project. Chu can bring the right combination to light for a successful film. I will try to keep an open mind for it. I will try very HARD.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

They've done it! Pixar has managed to top themselves as TOY STORY 3 just passed the shop's previous top property FINDING NEMO's tally of $868 million worldwide. The third and supposedly 'final' iteration of the TOY STORY franchise has accumulated $895 million thus far and still has plenty of legs left. I am calling it to surpass the $1 billion mark joining ALICE IN WONDERLAND and of course AVATAR in the feat for 2010.

Pixar certainly deserves all the accolades for TOY STORY 3. An amazing piece of storytelling in their fine tradition. Note that FINDING NEMO did perform without the benefit of 3D premiums though.

The next project to be released from Pixar is CARS 2 (June 24, 2011). I have to say that Pixar's success is NOT a trend. It's their status quo! I take it as a GOOD sign that John Lasseter has been recalled from Disney to revisit the story in CARS 2 - it shows they care and will always care about story first.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Lionsgate has released another innovative poster to promote their 'final' iteration of the SAW franchise - SAW 3D. This time the pun is on the movie being in heart pounding 3D! No doubt it is. The aim will be to make you sick to your stomach at times I have no doubt.

I like what Lionsgate is trying to do here with these posters. Would like to see actual representations of these posters from RabbitHoles or a similar company too.

So far we have had 'eye popping' posters, 'mind blowing' posters and now 'heart pounding'. What's next guys? Care to wager? :-)

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Tim Burton's FRANKENWEENIE is being pushed back (not surprising looking at Burton's workload) from 2011 to a March 9, 2012 release.

The movie is based on the comedic horror short that Burton made in 1984 while a film school student. The story centers on a man who brings his dog back to life after it is killed by a car.

THR reports that FRANKENWEENIE will no longer be a live action film but will use stop-motion (similar to CORALINE) and will be in black and white.

JOHN CARTER OF MARS has a release date now: June 8, 2012.

From Academy Award-winning filmmaker Andrew Stanton (FINDING NEMO, WALL-E), JOHN CARTER OF MARS brings this captivating hero to the big screen in a stunning adventure epic set on the wounded planet of Mars, a world inhabited by warrior tribes and exotic desert beings. Based on the first of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ “Barsoom Series,” the film chronicles the journey of Civil-War veteran John Carter, who finds himself battling a new and mysterious war amidst a host of strange Martian inhabitants, including Tars Tarkas and Dejah Thoris.

Both movies will be in Disney Digital 3D.

Great to finally have confirmation on JOHN CARTER being 3D. I was fairly certain FRANKENWEENIE would be. JOHN CARTER should be a huge, tentpole release for Disney and I expect TRON-like marketing for it in the coming year. Something to be excited about!

Monday, August 09, 2010

Warner Bros. is moving FAST with the GREEN LANTERN franchise (most likely a trilogy) and just days after co-producer Geoff Johnswrapped up the GREEN LANTERN production they have secured writer Michael Goldenberg (CONTACT, WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE, HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX) to flesh out a screenplay. [Variety]

Goldenberg will be using the treatment that was written by Greg Berlanti, Michael Green and Marc Guggenheim to launch from.

Goldenberg also rewrote GREEN LANTERN.

GREEN LANTERN opens June 17, 2011.

Love that Warner Bros. is embracing comic adaptations so eagerly. They are also working on future BATMAN, SUPERMAN and THE FLASH movies from their newly acquired division, DC Entertainment. Can't wait for THE FLASH - we have seen BATMAN and SUPERMAN on the big screen before, but to see the Scarlet Speedster in 3D for the first time? That's just plain awesome. Comics are the perfect replacement for the giant hole left by a wrapping up HARRY POTTER franchise.

Is it my imagination or is Ryan Reynolds everywhere nowadays? He should knock this one out of the park too. Gifted actor.

Saturday, August 07, 2010

Just got off the phone with James Cameron! Great to hear from him again and get some interesting news and confirmations. If you would like to listen to the last time I spoke with him, you can check out the interview here.

Today's call was made available in connection with AVATAR: SPECIAL EDITION which will be running in a limited engagement starting August 27.

I have broken down today's interview into segments listed below so you can quickly find your interest item, but of course I recommend listening to the whole thing!

With all the recent hoopla over 3D conversions and the ridiculous stories that 3D is dying, it is so refreshing to hear from the man that really started it all for modern 3D in Hollywood (along with Mr. Katzenberg of course). Have a listen!!

0:40 - Cameron confirms he is producing Guillermo del Toro's AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS. The movie will be shot in native 3D using next generation FUSION 3D cameras from Pace. The project came up only 2 or 3 weeks ago when Cameron asked about if del Toro was still interested in it. As del Toro was clearly excited to do it, Cameron said "let's do it". They took it to Universal with both of them attached to the fast tracked project and now it looks like it will be going in the 2nd quarter of 2011.

2:30 - Cameron talks about 3D conversions. TITANIC's conversion is taking 8 months to a year to complete, not a fast turnaround like CLASH OF THE TITANS. Cameron: "(TITANS) showed a fundamental lack of knowledge about stereo space, in addition to the shoddy work that comes from rushing."Cameron likes TITANS in 2D as do I (I have had the Blu-ray since it was released) from a directorial standpoint and as a fan of Sam Worthington.

5:00 - Cameron on how they are technically converting TITANIC."You just can't cut out edges, you're going to get flat people moving around." He will be using all his knowledge to put things on their right depth planes. They had tests for TITANIC from seven different conversion vendors on the exact same shots and they got back seven different answers as to were they thought things were spatially. "Some of them were not bad guesses and some of them were ridiculous."

6:50 - The whole argument about conversion will go away for high end, first run 3D. Two years from now when there are thousands of 3D cameras out their shooting live feeds to 3D broadcast networks, how can a producer go to a studio and say: "I can't shoot 3D. It's too difficult. There are too many problems. It costs too much. It adds 6 months to post-production. They won't be able to say any of that stuff. That stuff is all garbage."

9:05 - Cameron on talking with Steven Spielberg about converting his classic movies to 3D. "Make sure you are there for (the conversions), then it can be great."

11:20 - Cameron talks about AVATAR 2's current status. He has an overall story arc for 2 and 3, but has some modifications for that after spending some time during the last few months with native tribes in the Amazon basin. Script will be a ways out yet for AVATAR 2.

12:04 - He is focusing his writing right now on the AVATAR novel (corresponds to the first film) and that will take him the next couple of months to bang out. Not sure when it will be coming out, perhaps the end of the year or the first quarter of 2011.

12:45 - The AVATAR re-release will have 9 extra minutes, not 8 and it will all be CG. No extra footage of live action characters drinking coffee. Rainforest; some at night; a hunt sequence - a lot of flying; high impact action; an emotional scene toward the end has been added back; "the best CG in the film has been added as far as facial performance"; A Na'vi counterattack after the bulldozer attack; more of Grace at the school; adding the Stingbat and Sturmbeast creatures; additional Quaritch final AMP Suit battle shots; more of the glade love scene. It is all on par with the best of the rest of the film. They had lots of footage to choose from and they put back the absolute best scenes and shots they could.

15:45 - Cameron does not have the release timing of the 3D Blu-ray as they want to have a nice distribution of 3DTVs in homes. He has seen the 3D master run on consumer 3DTVs from Panasonic and Samsung and "It looks amazing. It looks really spectacular."

Special thanks to Jim Cameron and 20th Century Fox for setting this up! I am looking forward to the re-release on August 27 and to hearing more about the AVATAR novel and AVATAR movie sequel in the coming months. Stay tuned for more information as I get it...

Friday, August 06, 2010

Check this new trailer for JACKASS 3D from Paramount! It's fully complete with a flying port-a-potty, a big slap to the face and what I think is a touch of genius, the ol' flying man being pummeled by paintballing bird hunters.

Watch it once, I guarantee you will watch it a second time! Well probably will watch it a second time :-) Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O and the boys are here to please...

This third iteration of the JACKASS franchise is in 3D and opens wide on October 15. Should be a blast!!

Thursday, August 05, 2010

The new and final STEP UP 3D trailer is out and it packs a lot more wallop than the previous. Timing in at 3 minutes, you get more of a picture of the big dance contest that they are prepping for as well as the romance developing between the two leads.

We also get a first look at a couple of twins who look like they provide some comedic relief to the film. Looks passable too.

With STEP UP 3D set to spin into theaters tomorrow, this trailer takes it up a notch.

Keep in mind that this movie was entirely shot in native 3D. They were careful to include that nugget of info in the trailer too.

Storyline:A tight-knit group of New York City street dancers, including Luke (Malambri) and Natalie (Vinson), team up with NYU freshman Moose (Sevani), and find themselves pitted against the world's best hip hop dancers in a high-stakes showdown that will change their lives forever.

I will be checking this out ASAP. I am very curious about how this thing looks and delivers. My dancing days are pretty much over I would say, but I might learn a thing or two... Nah!

Here's a new trailer for NARNIA: THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER and it is from the recently released DIARY OF A WIMPY KID DVD.

I like this trailer more than the first(although the water flowing painting was very cool in the original). There is much more of Lucy in this second one and maybe that is the key to driving home more success with the release. There are also more glimpses of what we now know to be the Book Of Incantations.

I WANT to be so much more interested in these movies. I really do. I hope they deliver the goods here; the way Peter Jackson delivered Middle-earth - but I know that isn't going to happen will it? One can dream though I guess.